FRENCH market traders have dealt a blow to the regeneration of Blackburn by refusing to pitch up in Church Street.

The town centre street has undergone a £2million transformation to try and breathe new life into the area.

But the traders behind the continental market said "non" to a return because it is not vibrant enough.

Council bosses have now agreed that up to 150 stalls can line King William Street for the three-day event at the end of this month -- prompting outrage from traders on Blackburn's permanent market.

They said there had been an entente cordiale with Blackburn with Darwen Council that the continental market would be close to their market hall -- ensuring that visitors to one go to the other.

Tony Fitzgerald, Blackburn with Darwen Council's town centre manager, said: "When we approached the traders to come back for the end of this month they said they didn't want to go on Church Street.

"I think one issue is that they don't feel there is enough space for the number of traders they want to bring, and also concerns that it isn't particularly vibrant at this time of year."

Church Street, until 2001, was the main route through town for drivers. It has since been pedestrianised, at a cost of around £2million, plus costs for public art schemes, and was designed to become a focal point for events, such as the continental markets.

The overseas traders caused a storm when they visited in June 2003 after they demanded the only stallholder representing Blackburn stopped selling olives.

Ray Goldstone, president of Blackburn's Chamber of Trade and a stall holder on Blackburn Market, said: "Whenever the foreign market has come before, it has been on Church Street so people can see we also have a market. It has benefited us.

"But putting it on King William Street removes that link so it actually competes with us. That is bad news for us and it would have been nice for the council to have consulted us first."

Mr Fitzgerald claimed the French market would generate thousands of extra visitors for the town, citing research done in Solihull, near Birmingham, which attracted 15,000 extra visitors when it held the country's first French market.

Arnold Wilcox-Wood, manager of Blackburn Shopping Centre, said: "I still have doubts about the benefits these markets have, bringing in outside traders to trade here, and in many ways, compete."

Jeff Stone, owner of the Exchange Arcade in Fleming Square and one of the leading opponents to the original cobbling of Church Street, said: "I think the French traders did add a certain je ne sais quoi to this side of town.

"But if they feel Church Street doesn't attract enough customers for them, then it is a real blow to this side of town. King William Street is a much busier part of town anyway, and I thought Church Street was supposed to hold events like this to attract people over.